Kiwi plant named &#39;au golden sunshine&#39;

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of the species  Actinidia chinesis  Planch is described. ‘AU Golden Sunshine’ has a low chilling requirement, fruit is early maturing, excellent flavor with a non acid sweet taste and a high percent soluble solids and dry matter content. ‘AU Golden Sunshine’ matures about 20 days after ‘AU Golden Dragon’ and 30 days before ‘Hort 16A’ (patented), the industry standard for golden flesh kiwi cultivars. ‘AU Golden Sunshine’ fruit quality indices are similar to fruit quality indices of ‘AU Golden Dragon’ and ‘Hort 16A’ (patented). There have been no differences in plant performance and fruit quality of ‘AU Golden Sunshine’ plants grown in China and Alabama.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/711,219, filed on Feb. 23, 2010, and entitled “KIWI PLANT NAMED ‘AU GOLDEN DRAGON’” [Attorney Docket No. 5171-00283] and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/711,204, filed on Feb. 23, 2010, and entitled “KIWI PLANT NAMED ‘AU GOLDEN TIGER’” [Attorney Docket No. 5171-00282] are both incorporated by reference herein.

LATIN NAME OF THE GENUS AND SPECIES OF THE PLANT CLAIMED

Actinidia chinensis Planch.

VARIETY DENOMINATION

‘AU GOLDEN SUNSHINE’

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

‘AU Golden Sunshine’ is a golden fleshed cultivar of Actinidia chinensis Planch. This cultivar was selected from an Actinidia chinensis open pollinated seedling orchard that was tended and fruit harvested in Chongyang County of Hubei Province of P.R. China. The parentage of the new cultivar is unknown. ‘AU Golden Sunshine’ has been asexually reproduced in China and in Alabama, USA by rooting softwood and hardwood cuttings and by whip and cleft grafting. The genetics have been stable through succeeding asexual propagations. ‘AU Golden Sunshine’ fruit is large, cylindrical and uniform in shape with golden flesh that has a thick sweet flavor and delicious taste. ‘AU Golden Sunshine’ has high percent soluble solids and dry matter content which does not significantly differ from ‘Hort 16A’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 11,066) (Table 1). ‘AU Golden Sunshine fruit ripens 30 days before ‘Hort 16A’ (patented), the industry standard for Actinidia chinensis cultivars. ‘AU Golden Sunshine’ fruit contains high levels of health promoting properties.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct early ripening yellow fleshed kiwi cultivar that produces cylindrical uniform shaped fruit with the stylar end rounded and the stalk end rounded and flat. The fruit skin is brown with short tomentose hairs at maturity.

The new cultivar is able to be asexually reproduced by softwood and hardwood cuttings or by grafting onto a seedling or rooted cutting grown rootstock. The unique characteristics come true to form and are established and transmitted through succeeding asexual propagations. ‘AU Golden Sunshine’ has been asexually propagated by rooting softwood and hardwood cuttings and by whip and cleft grafting in China and in Alabama, USA.

Kiwi plants are dioecious and have vegetative and compound buds with flower clusters produced in the leaf axils of the first four to six nodes. Male and female flowers are perfect morphologically. The female flower contains some anthers but only the stigma is functional, whereas the flower on a male vine typically produces 125 to 185 large anthers that surround a small, vestigial stigma. In China, Jinxiong 2 (not patented), Kim Woong 3 (not patented), and Kim Woong 4 (not patented) are the male cultivars used as pollenizers. In Alabama ‘AU Golden Tiger’ is the male cultivar used as the pollenizer for ‘AU Golden Sunshine’.

Kiwi buds enter endodormancy during winter, which requires a minimum number of chilling hours for maximum budbreak and bloom. Floral uniformity and density in spring is directly related to the amount of chilling received during winter. It is believed the more accurate measure of chilling hours is Richardson units, which are defined as the accumulated hours between 0° C. and 7° C.

For maximum bud break and flowering of ‘AU Golden Sunshine’ to occur it was determined that 700 hours of chilling was required and after the chilling requirement was met 15000 growing degree hours were necessary for bud break. The high growing degree hours requirement results in a late bud break and blooming period which occurs after the danger of late spring frost. ‘AU Golden Sunshine’ has performed well in central Alabama, which has an average winter chilling of 800-1200 hours.

In Alabama, ‘AU Golden Sunshine’ blooms later in the spring and its fruit ripens earlier in the fall than does ‘Hort 16A’ (patented). ‘AU Golden Sunshine’ has a cylindrical fruit shape as does ‘Hort 16A’ (patented). However, the stylar end is rounded in comparison to protruding stylar end of ‘Hort 16A’ (patented). The shape of the shoulder on the stalk end of ‘AU Golden Sunshine’ is rounded to flat in comparison to the rounded shape of ‘Hort 16A’ (patented). In Alabama, fruit of ‘AU Golden Sunshine’ matures September 10 in comparison to the fruit of ‘Hort 16A’ (patented) maturing October 10.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a photograph of ‘AU Golden Sunshine’ flower bud density on 8 year old plants.

FIG. 2 is a photograph of ‘AU Golden Sunshine’ close up of fruit on vine on 8 year old plants.

FIG. 3 is a photograph of ‘AU Golden Sunshine’ fruit load on vine on 8 year old plants.

FIG. 4 is a photograph of ‘AU Golden Sunshine’ flesh color on 8 year old plants.

FIG. 5 is a photograph of ‘AU Golden Sunshine’ fruit shape on 8 year old plants.

FIG. 6 is a photograph of a comparison of graded and sized fruit of ‘AU Golden Sunshine’ and ‘Hort 16A’ on 8 year old plants.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

Kiwi plants are large deciduous shrubs that originated in China and are dioecious, can climb up to 25 feet, and have alternate, broadly rounded petiolate leaves. The cream colored flowers that grow in axillary cymes mature into ovate to oblong fruits (berries) with brownish, hairy skins. There are over 50 species in the genus Actinidia. The two Actinidia species of the most commercial importance are deliciosa and chinensis. ‘Hort 16A’ (patented) is the most important yellow flesh chinensis cultivar in the commercial trade. The kiwi plant is dioecious thereby requiring male pollenizers in the presence of the female plants to ensure fruit production. The male and female plants bloom period has to be at the same time for pollination to occur. The bloom period varies with each cultivar depending upon the chilling requirement and the growing degree hour requirement after the chilling requirement has been met. Actinidia are temperate zone plants that prefer well drained moist and rich soil and grows as well in a sunny as in a half-shady position.

The new cultivar ‘AU Golden Sunshine’ is pistillate, with imperfect flowers, e.g. the flowers produce only sterile pollen and thus require a pollenizer for fruit production. The male cultivar ‘AU Tiger’ is the pollenizer used with ‘AU Golden Sunshine’. The bloom period of ‘AU Golden Sunshine’ starts about April 20 which is 18 days after the ‘Hort 16A’ (patented) bloom period.

The new cultivar is able to be asexually reproduced by softwood and hardwood cuttings or by grafting or budding onto a seedling or cutting grown rootstock. The unique characteristics come true to form and are established and transmitted through succeeding asexual propagations.

The distinctive characteristics of this new kiwi cultivar described in detail below have been observed in field experiments in Alabama, USA and in China. The ‘Hort 16A’ (patented) cultivar was evaluated in the same field experiments in Alabama and was used as the standard cultivar for comparison.

The general fruit shape of ‘AU Golden Sunshine’ is cylindrical, whereas the general shape of ‘Hort 16A’ (patented) is ovoid. The general shape of the stylar end is rounded on ‘AU Golden Sunshine’ in comparison to a very protruding stylar end on ‘Hort 16A’ (patented). The fruit shoulder on the stalk end is rounded and flat on ‘AU Golden Sunshine’ and rounded on ‘Hort 16A’ (patented).

‘AU Golden Sunshine blooms with and is pollinized by ‘AU Golden Tiger’. ‘AU Golden Sunshine’ is a companion and comparison fruiting cultivar to ‘AU Golden Dragon’. The fruit of ‘AU Golden Sunshine’ matures 20 days after the fruit of ‘AU Golden Dragon’ and 30 days before the fruit of ‘Hort 16A’ (patented). Fruit quality is very similar between the three female cultivars, ‘AU Golden Dragon’, ‘AU Golden Sunshine’ and ‘Hort 16A’ (patented), however they differ in bloom date, fruit maturity date, and fruit shape.

‘AU Golden Sunshine’ is a good source of health promoting qualities such as vitamin C, antioxidant capacity, β carotene, and total phenolics (Table 2).

Table 3 below illustrates the specific differences between the ‘AU Golden Sunshine’ cultivar at 8 years of age and the ‘Hort 16A’ cultivar.

TABLE 3 ‘AU Golden Sunshine’ ‘Hort 16A’ (patented) Plant Plant: sex expression female (flowers imperfect) Plant: ploidy diploid (2n = 2x = 58) Plant: vigor strong Young shoot: hairs present Young shoot: density of hairs medium Young shoot: type of hairs short Young shoot: anthocyanin absent, N199A coloration of growing tip Young shoot: anthocyanin absent, N199A coloration of leaf axil Plant: average height and plant is a vigorous vine. spread They are grown on a trellis (either a T-bar or pergola trellis system) in which the plant is allotted a certain space of which it rapidly fills and is maintained in this space by both winter and summer pruning. The trellis is six feet off the ground and the plant is allowed each summer to grow and hang down on each side of the trellis. Stem Stem: coloration of leaf axil absent, N199A Stem: diameter medium medium Stem base diameter mean 12.9 mm mean 11.0 mm (range 10-18.1 mm) (range 8.3-13.3 mm) Stem mid section diameter mean 9.7 mm not available (range 7.4-12.5 mm) Stem: dormant bud diameter 4.2 mm (2.5-6.1 mm)   6.9 mm (4.9-8.3mm) Stem: color on upper side of grey-brown, N199A dark brown, 200B-200C- shoot 165A Stem: character of bark smooth Stem: hairs few present Stem: conspicuousness of weak conspicuous lenticels Stem: number of lenticels few medium Stem: color of lenticels brownish-white, 199C Stem: size of bud support large Stem: visibility of bud visible (dormant canes) Stem: number of hairs visible high medium on bud (dormant canes) Stem: leaf scar mean length 5.5 mm medium (4.7-5.9 mm) mean width 5.7 mm (5-6.3 mm) Leaf (Mature) Leaf shape: broadly cordate to orbicular very broadly ovate Leaf base shape: rounded to cordate; lobes cordate not overlapping Leaf tip shape: broadly obtuse with cuspidate cuspidate tip Leaf margin: entire ciliate Leaf adaxial surface: medium to dark green; light-medium green, glabrous except for sparse, medium glossiness, 146A unbranched hairs along veins, 147A Leaf abaxial surface: light green; dense, stellate light green, 147B pubescence everywhere except along main veins which are densely tomentose with unbranched hairs, 147B Leaf length (cm): 20.1 (16.8-24.1)    17 (14.5-19.8) Leaf width (cm): 15.3 (13.1-18.2)  18.6 (15.9-21.7) Leaf ratio (l/w):  1.3 (1.2-1.5) Leaf petiole length (cm):  6.4 (5-8.7)  16.7 (10-25) Leaf 1° vein organization: pinnate; veins terminating as small extended points or mucros at leaf margins Leaf 2° vein organization: parallel Leaf puckering: weak Leaf variegation: none Leaf spines on lower leaf none; dense stellate hairs surface: Petiole: 147C Pedicel: N199A Flower Inflorescence#: predominate mean 2.2 (range 1-3) mean 1.0 number flower buds/stem 1° Pedicel length (cm):  3.7 (2.5-4.6).  4.2 (3.0-4.9) 2° Pedicel length (cm):  1.8 (1.4-2.1) Pedicel pubescence: minutely, densely tomentose, unbranched Sepalf#:  5.7 (5-8) >5 Sepal color: greyed-green to slightly rust colored at margin, 191C Sepal pubescence: minutely, densely tomentose, unbranched Flower color: creamy white, 155D White, 155D Flower width (cm):  5.0 (4.8-5.8)   1.8 (1.6-1.9) Petal orientation: distinct to overlapping overlapping Petal #:  6.4 (5-9)     8 (6-10) Petal length (cm):  2.1 (1.7-2.5)   2.3 (2.1-2.5) Petal width (cm):  1.6 (1.4-2.1)   1.8 (1.6-1.9) Petal ratio (1/w):  1.3 (1.0-1.6)   1.3(1.1-1.5) Ovary shape: globose Ovary pubescence: minutely, densely pilose; strongly expressed unbranched Style#:   20 (17-22) 30.85 (26-36) Style orientation: upright to spreading erect Stamen#: 85.4 (80-96) Anther length (mm): 3.0-4.0 Filament: 155D Anther: 169D Chilling requirement hours: 700 Fruit Fruit: average weight (g) 90.4 98.3 (47.7-149.6) (43-176) Fruit: length (mm) 66.8 79.1 (51.9-80.3) (76.0-84.2) Fruit: width (max) (mm) 48.4 53.1 (38.4-62.8) (55.4-48.1) Fruit: L/A ratio (max width)  1.38  1.49 Fruit: width (min) (mm) 44.7 49.1 (37.3-51.8) (47.0-51.2) Fruit: LID ratio (min width)  1.49  1.61 Fruit: core diameter (max) 14.3 13.1 (mm) (3.2-21.7) (9.1-17) Fruit: core diameter (min) 5.6 4.9 (mm) (2.7-12.7) (4.1-6.1) Fruit: locule number 36.8 34.5 (31-40) (26-37) Fruit: peduncle length (mm) 28.7 48.3 (21.6-34.2) (44.7-50.3) Fruit: peduncle width (mm) 1.7 3.57 (1.2-2.6) (3.2-4.3) Fruit: general shape cylindrical ovoid Fruit: cross-section at median round elliptic Fruit: general shape of stylar rounded end Fruit: shape of shoulder on rounded, flat rounded stalk end Fruit: skin color at harvest Brown, N199A yellow-brown Fruit: skin color change absent yellow-brown during ripening Fruit: skin color at maturity brown, N199A combination of 199A plus for consumption 161A Fruit: hairs present medium Fruit: density of hairs light pubescent Fruit: types of hairs tomentose Fruit: hair length (mm) short (0.05-0.15) Fruit: concentration of hairs uniform Fruit: adherence of hairs to weak skin (when rubbed) Fruit: core diameter (at large (10.0 mm by 3.4 mm) small largest diameter) Fruit: core shape (in cross elliptical section) Fruit: core woody spike present Fruit: prominence of core medium weak woody spike Fruit: outer pericarp color at yellow green, 152C-152D golden yellow, 12C-12B maturity for consumption Fruit: inner pericarp color yellow green, 148A brownish-yellow, 162A-162C (locules) at maturity for consumption Fruit: core color at maturity greyed-yellow, 160C white, 159C Fruit: seed color at maturity dark brown, 200A 200A in flesh Fruit: seed color when dry greyed-orange, 165B Brown, 200D Notes regarding Table 3: 1. Horticulture terminology is used in accordance with revised UPOV guidelines for kiwi. 2. Characters of comparison cultivar ‘Hort 16A’ are noted opposite that character when significantly different. 3. ‘Hort 16A’ plants were observed in the same experimental planting as the new cultivar. 4. All dimensions are in millimeters unless otherwise stated; weights are in grams. 5. The RHS 1966 color chart used to determine actual color.

TABLE 1 Fruit Quality at harvest and after 30 days cold storage treatment of three Actinidia chinensis Planch golden kiwi cultivars grown in central Alabama and China. Harvest^(z) 30 Days Cold Storage^(x) Firm- Soluble Dry Internal Firm- Soluble Dry Internal ness Solids Matter Hue ness Solids Matter Hue Cultivar (Kg) (%) (%) Angle (Kg) (%) (%) Angle ‘AU Golden 4.4b^(Y)  6.6c 17.2 104 1.1 15.2 18.0  99 Dragon’ ‘AU Golden 4.7b   8.6b 18.5 100 0.0 15.7 18.5  94 Sunshine’ ‘Hort 16A’ 5.8a  11.7a 21.0 105 2.0 17.4 21.0 101 (patented) ^(z)Means derived from data taken in the 2006, 2008, 2009 and 2010 growing seasons. There was not fruit in 2007 due to a late spring frost killing flower buds. ^(y)Mean separation within columns by Duncan's Multiple Range Test p = 0.05, columns without letters were not significantly different. ^(x)Means derived from data taken in 2003, 2004, 2008, 2009 and 2010 for ‘Au Golden Dragon’ and ‘AU Golden Sunshine’ and in 2009 and 2010 for ‘Hort 16A’ (patented).

TABLE 2 Phytochemical properties of 'AU Golden Dragon' and 'AU Golden Sunshine' cultivars. Phytochemical ‘AU Golden ‘AU Golden properties Dragon’ Sunshine’ Ascorbic acid 96.98 94.43 (mg/100 g FW) Vitamin C equivalent 161.60 177.90 Antioxidant capacity (VCEA) B carotene (mg/100 g FW) 0.20 0.23 Chlorophyll a (mg/100 g FW) 0.11 0.12 Chlorophyll b (mg/100 g FW) 0.06 0.05 Total Phenolics (mg GAE/100 g FW) 135.70 155.50 

1. A new and distinct variety of Actinidia chinensis Planch plant named ‘AU Golden Sunshine’ substantially as described and illustrated herein. 